swered Monte. "And for you because--"

"I don't care what they do to me," growled Hamilton.

"I believe that," nodded Monte. "Do you know that I 'm the one person
on earth who is inclined to believe what you say?"

He saw Hamilton crouch as if to spring. Monte placed his left hand in
his empty pocket.

"Steady," he warned. "There are still four shots left in that gun."

Hamilton relaxed.

"You don't care what the little fellows do to you," said Monte. "But
you don't want to queer yourself any further with her, do you? Now,
listen. She thinks you tried to shoot yourself. By that much I have a
hunch she thinks the better of you."

Hamilton groaned,

"And because I believe what you told me about her," he ran on, fighting
for breath--"just because--because I believe the shooting fits into
that, I 'm glad to--to have her think that little the better of you,
Hamilton."

The interior of the cab was beginning to move slowly around in a
circle. He leaned back his head a second to steady himself--his white
lips pressed together.

"So--so--clear out," he whispered.

"You--you won't tell her?"

"No. But--clear out, quick."

Hamilton opened the cab door.

"Got any money?" inquired Monte.

"No."

Monte drew out his bill-book and handed it to Hamilton.

"Take what there is," he ordered.

Hamilton obeyed, and returned the empty purse.

"Remember," faltered Monte, his voice trailing off into an inaudible
murmur, "we're engaged--Marjory and I--"

But Hamilton had disappeared. It was the driver who was peering in the
door.

"Where next, monsieur?" he was saying.

"Normandie," muttered Monte.

The windows began to revolve in a circle before his eyes--faster and
faster, until suddenly he no longer was conscious of the pain in his
shoulder.

CHAPTER VI

GENDARMES AND ETHER

When the gendarmes came hurrying to sixty-four Boulevard Saint-Germain,
Marjory was the only one in the house cool enough to meet them at the
door. She quieted them with a smile.

"It is too bad, messieurs," she apologized, because it did seem too bad
to put them to so much trouble for nothing. "It was only a
disagreeable incident between friends, and it is closed. Madame Courcy
lost her head."

"But we were told it was an assassination," the lieutenant informed
her. He was a very smart-looking lieutenant, and he noticed her eyes
at once.

"To have an assassination it is necessary to have some one
assassinate